Feb 2010 - turning two and turning heads

[BigBadBear]

Yes it was quite scary, she had never been that ill before, in fact we've been quite lucky on the illness front to date so that was even more unexpected. Our fault really I think we were a bit too relaxed - did not pack any thermometer, nor carpool, nor diarrhoea meds for one thing. Luckily we stocked up at the doctor's once we go there. We should also have cooked more meals at home. Anyway at least now justified in not travelling until now! Going to stick with the day trips and maybe overnight stays for the time being. mous you have to be superwoman to be moving so often and still sane!

bc I remember sleeping with DD on my chest (or rather trying not to sleep) and getting upset with DH when he fell asleep with her on his chest. :). In the end we found out the she would sleep on a pillow - yes I know, danger of suffocation!

Sticker saturation tactic only worked for a day, thanks everyone for asking, now back to snake and mover/digger/animal stickers again. At least they're educational....

DD's back to full health now, though not sure about weight, must get her weighed. We tried socialising her at nursery earlier this week to great success, not only did she wave us goodbye, happily wearing a hat and shoes she'd somehow acquired there within 5 mins, but she kicked up a huge fuss when DH collected her an hour later. Having a 2nd session tomorrow for 2 hours, so let's see how she gets on.

bbb I can still not get my head around how you can get your 2 DDs to stay happily in bed till 7am!!

Ah, sorry sb cross posted, actually also thinking of training in July. But more because of the weather and reduced laundry. Not keen on the thought of cleaning pooey pants though. Wonder if a liner might work?

sounds promising rainbow

DD has almost caught up with sleep although still not quite getting to normal bedtime. I'm coming down with a cold but think DS is too as he has been 'off' today, so a little :( for him. No real outward symptoms yet but he is not being awake long and feeding less.

be maybe she won't mind a rucksack leash/rein if she has not tried one for a while. Personally I hate the thought of wrist straps, just feels like too much potential jarring of the arm. You might find the new sights and sounds of a holiday will distract her into putting up with things she doesn't normally, and it's not like wrist or basic back reins are that pricey so you won't have lost much money. We holiday next week and starting to wish we had a back carry/sling for DD. We're heading to Scotland where DH is going to brave a long day with the bottle refusing baby.

Hi all - ventured out for the first time today - just down to the GPs to see the midwife. Had my stitches out and baby weighed - she's gained 3oz.

Hello!!

Lots to catch on, but I won't try and include everything I've missed, just run through a few highlights, if that's okay...

Abs eek at your near miss on the motorway - one of those moments when your whole life flashes in front of your eyes (or would have done if the car bonnet hadn't been in the way). Thank goodness you came out of it unscathed.

Bear loved hearing about your - ahem - eccentric ward companions. Not surprised you're relieved to be home. DD wouldn't sleep anywhere except on my chest for the first few weeks either, then eventually she condescended to be put to sleep in her Cocoonababy. Lovely news that your DD has gained weight!!

Rainbow that fevery thing sounds scary, glad your DD bounced back so quickly. What an amazing time for you all, though!

PA sorry you've had one illness after the other to deal with I hope you and your LOs all hit optimum health again ASAP.
DD's just started her first proper cold since Christmas, but seems fairly cheery, despite the snot. I'm just pleased we had as long as respite as we did

BBB good to hear from you!

Our sojourn in Cornwall was lovely, although DH and I are pleased we're no longer sharing a room with DD - not conducive to our sleep (or hers, I suspect!) DD adored hanging out with her lovely cousins and spent ages bouncing on the full-sized trampoline they have in their garden.
Here's an account of her first ice-lolly experience which caused much entertainment for those of us in the audience...!

We had the 20 week scan today and Fosbury is also in fine fettle, no anomalies detected and full of beans. The consultant said I could indeed have a go at a VBAC and was very reassuring on that point. So, all good

Good God I'd forgotten how chatty everyone is on this thread (this is a Good Thing). I miss out a few days and there's 4 pages to read.

bee Hiya! I've 2 kids, 17month gap, Feb 10 and July 11.

PA I hope all illness has now fled your house.

abs the car thing sounded terrifying to me - really nightmarish. Pleased you are ok.

IC Over halfway. Yay!

Managed to make it to mum and baby film screening today. Cabin In The Woods - absolutely brilliant. Atticus loved it. He didn't cry once but I nearly had to leave because his excited squealing was so loud. Loves horror films just like his mam.

Have gardeners in at the moment completely changing our back garden. Daughter has fallen in love with gardener and cries for him all the time. She sits outside eating grapes watching him chainsaw trees. Yesterday she wouldn't leave the creche I had put her in at the gym until I promised we were going to see the gardener next.

At the Ritzy? I saw that was on but only 20 mins before screening time so too late for me. I really want to see it, am a massive Joss Whedon fan.

Arf at your DS' predilection for horror movies and excited squealing, Stan!!

BC Yes, the Ritzy! I'd forgotten you were a Sarf London girl like me. I was the biggest Buffy and Angel fan going, and Firefly, and Dr Horrible......Did you have Marianne in Kings then?

The midwives there really are shite. I actually had a row with one on the post-natal ward. She had already made 2 women cry and when she got to me and refused to look after my newborn for 5 mins whilst I went to the loo (it was 3am and DS was asleep on my bed with me, I wanted to shuffle off without waking him - and therefore everyone else on the ward - but needed her to keep an eye on him) because it was not her job (she had refused the other women's requests as well) I asked very sternly "well, what exactly is your job then as it doesn't seem to include anything that I would consider useful for a midwife to do on a post-natal ward?". She went off in a huff and got another midwife - who was perfectly happy to look after DS for me.

IC great news about the scan and that you're half way

DS is a 'more' mode! Everything is more - more mot (motorbike), more bus, more sausages (today's lunch), more stairs... It's driving me nuts!!! I've nicknamed him Mr Plus (mr more)

penguin I never thought of it jarring the arm! Right, thats out then, I will just instruct the in laws that DD1 is theirs for the holiday and to look after her as I have to look after DD2

stan so cute to hear about your gardener and DD :)

rainbow we didn't have anything on DD1s bottom half (just a skirt) for the first week of TT when in the house and it worked really well. She did half a poo on our brand new 2 day old carpet and has been good with poos since, - I think poopey pants aren't very common if children are ready for TT.

IC have you explained your bump to dd yet?

Yes, I was in King's. I found them variable - there were a couple of really good ones and some lazy idiots as well. One gave me the blood pressure medication that had been stopped (It was written up to be given if needed - not as a matter of course) along with my painkillers - luckily I didn't recognise the tablet so I asked DH to ask what it was. They are meant to tell you what each pill is when they give them to you - she didn't even apologise for her mistake. And she didn't give the woman opposite me her antibiotics.

I loved Buffy and Firefly (very upset that they never made more than one series). I didn't realise that he'd directed that new Avengers film as well.

I have a lot of news - some good some not so great...

Good news first:

I am not supposed to know but my SIL is pregnant!! I am so excited that the DCs will have a first cousin (I am an only child so they won't be getting any from my side). MIL couldn't resist telling us when they visited so we're going to have to pretend to be surprised when DH's brother and wife give us the news.

Bad news:

My mum woke up yesteday with a pain in her side (she said it felt like when she broke her rib) and the GP sent her straight to King's A+E. THey think it's a pulmonary embolism. They kept her in overinight and she's waiting for a CT scan - they've given her some clot busting drugs. She thought she might get the scan yesterday but she's still waiting this morning. I rang her about 8 but her phone is low on charge so I didn't stay on long. It's hard not being able to be with her but I can't drag toddler and newborn along. I had a really vivid nightmare last night that they'd given her the wrong dose of drugs and she died :(

My dad is not doing so well either - he's depressed again. His wife says he hardly gets out of bed and won't see a psychologist. I was hoping he'd fly over to see the baby but he finds it hard enough getting out of the front door. I know the treatment for the bladder growths really got him down and also I suppose selling his business is like the end of an era - I doubt at his age and state of health he'll ever run his own restaurant again.

I'm sorry not to comment on what everyone's been up to - I have read all the posts! IC It seems so quickly you've reached the halfway mark. Such a relief the anomaly scan is good. SB At least the 'more' thing is positive - my DS keeps saying "I don't like BLANK any more" - BLANK can be anything. It was trousers the other day. Also he is obsessed with one particular episode of Abney and Teal (the perfect tree) and makes me play it at least 7 times a day.

bc about your parents. Fx your mum will ne treated soon

So this afternoon is nappy free so let's wait and see how long it take DS to wet himself

I've got 11 watchers on one of my items on ebay, I hope it'll sell. Free listing again this weekend.

The dry time lasted about 40mn. Me asking several times if he needed a wee, him saying no up to him saying 'wet, wet'. I know it will come but I'm not the one not wanting to put him in a nappy, it's him! That child is very odd

bc great news on getting out, it's a logistical feat at first, but you soon get used to it. I remember struggling to get ready for places at 10, now at 9am I am drumming my fingers until it's time to go.

Sorry to hear about your parents though :(

I'm back! The new laptop lead from amazon arrived today. I ran out of free inernet on my phone about 4 days ago and, at £4 a Mb, I couldn't risk looking on here from tha - it's simply too addictive!

BC So sorry to hear about your parents. It must be very worrying for you at the moment. Good news about your SIL.

IC fab news about the anomoly scan. Hope the weeks are flying by for you. Good news about the VBAC too.

Mous I'm guessing no news on the electricity if you aren't on here?!

Bee we use a wrist strap with DS2 for little distances - he is a mojor runner/climber/general monkey and I'd rather have a wrenched arm than a child squashed under a car. I started using it after reading a MN thread a few weeks ago. We mostly use the reins if we are out walking as DS2 falls over a lot and it saves him hurting himself most of the time. He doesn't mind them at all. (And I don't think the wrenched arm would be a problem with ours as it is so long that they'd hit the floor first. He certainly does wrench his arm regularly when he falls while we are holding hands). I use the wrist strap on work mornings when I'm trying to get him and all the stuff for the day (about 6 bags) across the green to our car (as we don't have a drive). He twice got onto the road before I started using it and you can imagine what kind of a start to the days that gave me! Luckily, the road is quiet and I can see for a long way whether vehicles are coming, but I'm rather risk averse!

SB I'm in a potty quandary with DS2 too. He is perfectly capable of getting to the potty under his own steam at the right time but can't really be bothered. Despite this, I ask him every morning now whether he wants pants or pull up and he insists on pants. We have some good days and some not so good. My brother was highly amused by a poo in the pants incident the other day - luckily DS2 is rather 'solid' in that dept, but it did look funny! I had the last laugh as I then had to make DB's lunch as soon as I'd cleared DS2/the pants/the floor....! My prblem is that my two boys seem to have my bladder that doesn't empty well so they might be wet, sit on the potty for 5 mins, do a bit more, but then be wet again 10mins later. DS1 still has to do urgent wees while we are out, even though he's been just before we leave home.

PA glad your two are on the mend. I'm still often late for a 9:30 a.m. start two years after having DS2, but then we're back in the terrible twos stage and I have to try and allow extra time!

Rainbow glad to hear DD is now mended. It might be a good moment to say to you all do get your DC weighed every now and then. I didn't with DS1 after 1 year old. Then when he became poorly at 2, there wasn't any data to back up our feeling that he was losing weight as we didn't have a baseline. I wish I'd gone every couple of months just so people had taken me seriously a whole lot quicker. There's a whole 1.1Kg between him and DS2 at the mo , although DS2 is clearly a complete porker! (Bee my DS1 has a lot of food intolerances, as does DS2 now, and we've had an interesting couple of years with both DS healthwise, hence my recent choice of nickname change).

My two have been fighting a lot in the last two weeks during my 'holiday' . I'm reading the 'How to talk so children will listen' etc.. book as fast as I can (and forcing DH to do so too!) It is helping in parts but it's how to stop the constant fighting/shouting that is causing me considerable concern. I've been taking them out a lot as separating them in the fresh air (at opposite ends of a see saw usually!) seems to help and to maintain my sanity. This has culminated today in DS1 riding a bike with no stabilisers unaided on his first attempt. He's been using a balance bike for about 5 months and I'd have to say that it has worked wonders, as he could already do the balance bit and just had to recall pedalling from his trike. It has saved me hours of back-breaking bending to hold the saddle, but I must have run about 1Km today next to him in the park and I'm really not designed for running with my PGP!! Could also have done with putting on my sports bra !!

On that note, I'll leave you in peace again. Hi to BBB, Stan, SC, Scones et al.. Hope you are all well.

Sorry for my usual mistakes - we still haven't got the 't' mended on the keyboard and I need to put a sticker on the screen to remind me to read before posting, not after it!!

Also going to have to change DS2's car seat soon. He's now 15Kg and above the height of the back of the car seat so not getting either head or side protection (and DH works on injuries sustained by passengers from car crashes!!) However, he falls asleep in the car on long journeys and I'm a bit worried that he'll be horribly uncomfortable if he flops forwards. Plus, he's my baby and way too young for a high backed booster!!!

to be fair be I have been rather exposed to people more likely to pull their kids. My home town seems to be more of the school of thought that childrens wills should be bent to the parents, which has probably clouded my thoughts. We're off on our holiday in a few hours, even though gales are predicted on the mountains.

survival seems that your not alone with the sibblings issues.

Re potty training I'm going to go cool turkey I think sooner than later as I am fed up fighting to put his nappies on.

bee We have reins but I don't like using them as I don't feel in control. But DS is really good at holding hand and he will actually ask you for your hand when we're out and about. But if I had a toddler and a baby ,i think a pushchair board or reins will be needed.

PA how are you LO doing?

My ebay items are finishing soon, fx they'll sell as I want to get rid of them declutter.

First loaf of bread is out of the oven and the smell is making want to eat it...

Hello everyone. Sorry haven't been on for ages but have been so unwell and still feel crappy! I think I have sinusitis after flu. It is endless and I'm so snotty. Misery.
Firstly, BC I'm sorry to hear about your mum, I really hope she's okay.
I have read all your posts but am feeling so crappy, I just need to go to bed. I just wanted to post something
I have a nasty feeling the insurance is going to write my car off! Bugger, I thought I'd keep it for at least another five years... really don't have the money to buy another one.
My big news is that DD is fully TT! She is an absolute star and we've been in knickers now for ten days. No accidents. I put her in a nappy at night and during naps but they are mostly dry and she calls for her potty first thing in the morning.
She woke at 4 last night because she was teething. She is a full-on professional pharmacist too. She said "Hi mummy, I need some Calpol because my teeth hurt, and, cough, cough, I need some Tixylix because I've got a bad cough!" Might send her out to work soon

Thanks for all the congrats on halfway/scan! Yes, we're now taking every opportunity to mention "DD's little baby brother in Mummy's tummy" - obviously, this is still a hazy concept for her, but we'll back it up with books about having a younger sibling appear on the scene and lots of talks about babies and what they do/don't do etc.....

Bc I hope your mum is doing okay now. Horrible scare for you (and her). Sorry to hear about your dad, too.

Abs bah that you're ill and facing a car crisis.
But great news on the TT, very impressive!! And I love your DD's self-diagnosis.
DD managed to produce another wee on her potty the other day and will ask to sit on it every so often. We're not doing proper training yet, but it's good that she's getting the idea and likes having a go.

beth good to hear from you, although sorry the sibling rivalry is proving exhausting. How To Talk.. is very helpful, but I think there are other publications specifically about dealing with sibling issues, so if you still need tips, it might be worth searching one of those out....

bee we haven't done reins thus far, but we're lucky because DD is usually good at walking/jogging beside us and hasn't shown signs of serious bolting (yet). Plus, she's so small, we can just scoop her up if she's not observing good walking practice. Don't blame people for using them if it's a question of safety to life and limb, though. As bethy says, better a wrenched arm than being flattened by a car.

Hey PA, good to hear the illnesses are on the way out. Here's hoping you get a decent respite this time.

Good luck with the TT and the eBabying, SB!

AbsB thats amazing about the night time TT! Does your DD still drink milk just before bed, and is she in a proper bed now? These are my excuses for not trying to train over night as DD is still in her cot and drinks about 2 pints of milk just before she goes to sleep so I don't think there is any point in trying :(

Well done on being dry at night, AbsB's DD.

Mum got her scan report - just a bad chest infection so she'll be coming home (with antibiotics) today hopefully.

We went out to the One O'Clock Club this morning all four of us which was nice. There was some sun but it was pretty windy so I stayed indoors with the baby and let DH look after DS outside with all the ride-on cars and stuff.

Last night was a bit difficult with both of them awake and shouting for a few hours around 3 - 5 ish. Not sure of times because I wasn't really looking at the clock. I couldn't work out if she was STILL hungry or just windy - I did finally manage to get two massive burps out of her and she settled ok after that.

survival top work on DS1 riding a bike. More than I've ever managed and I'm 43.

PA have a lovely holiday.

abs awesome work on the TT. Being a lazy/half-arsed mum myself I was hoping to come on here in about 6 weeks and ask for advice on how to do it. Started reading books and on-line pages but keep being distracted by Homeland or whatever boxset DP and I are watching. Can't be bothered to do it before our holiday as there are long-haul flights involved.

BC I'm sorry to hear both your parents have been unwell. Has your Dad ever tried Prozac or suchlike? My Dad's been on them since his stroke 10 years ago and it makes him a lot happier.

Right -better get back to this parenting lark. DD is poorly (temperature, not eating, runny nose) and I should be cuddling her.